7th bay disappeared, other drives went inaccessible

ZimaCube
1

First off, here’s my configuration:

ZimaCube Pro
OS: Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
OS Installed on main NVMe - Kingston
Bay 1: HUH728080ALE601 - 8TB SATA HDD
Bay 2: HUH728080ALE601 - 8TB SATA HDD
Bay 3: HUH728080ALE601 - 8TB SATA HDD
Bay 4: HUH728080ALE601 - 8TB SATA HDD
Bay 5: MK1920GFDKU - 1.92TB SATA SSD
Bay 6: MK1920GFDKU - 1.92TB SATA SSD
Bay 7: /dev/nvme0n1 - CT500P3PSSD8 500GB NVMe
Bay 7: /dev/nvme1n1 - CT500P3PSSD8 500GB NVMe
Bay 7: /dev/nvme2n1 - Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB NVMe
Bay 7: /dev/nvme3n1 - Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB NVMe

RAID-1 MD array (Bay 5 & 6) - Share Storage
RAID-1 MD array (Bay 7, nvme0n1 & nvme1n1) - VMStorage
RAID-1 MD array (Bay 7, nvme2n1 & nvme3n1) - URBackup Temp Data Storage
RAID-5 LVM (Bay 1 - 4) - Backup Storage

Host is running KVM locally with three VMs, also with URBackup (Backup storage is a RAID-5 config. on the 8TB HDDs, with a BTRFS filesystem).

Today, while at work, I logged into my URBackup instance on the host, and it was unable to access the array. When I checked using fdisk, a couple of the 8TB HDDs, one of the SSDs, and all drives in Bay 7 were missing. I rebooted the host, but it never came back up remotely. When I arrived home tonight, I found that it was in single user mode, and Bay 7 was unlit. I powered the unit off, waited a couple of minutes, and then powered it back on again. All other drives were coming up accessible to the system but Bay 7 drives were not visible to the system.

When I checked the screw which retains the NMVe bay into the case it was tight, but when I pressed on the front of Bay 7, it lit up. I then powered the system down again, and using pliers tightened the screw retaining Bay 7, and then powered up the system. Currently everything is now back up and accessible. Before this had happened, I would hear “squeaking” from Bay 7, currently it is faintly audible, but not as it was previously.

Any suggestions on how to address this, other than trying to drive the NVMe bay through the back of the unit?

2

Sounds like a one off issue where the sled is not fitting correctly. Power down, remove and inspect the sled and chassis for any damage. If no damage, remove all drives to get a better view and watch how bay 7 sled inserts. Perhaps you can see something obstructing its path. If all else fails, you might have to contact IceWhale for further diagnosis or RMA.

3

There is no visible issue with the sled, or visible damage with it or the chassis. The sled inserts with no issues or obstructions. As of now, no issues currently with the host, and has been up since my original post. Just seems strange and the squeaking noise is still there, which sounds like it is coming from the sled. I may unhook the LED from the ESP to see if the noise persists.